The Dragon of the North
by WritingEqualsEscape
Summary: Zara is a simple girl, all she wants is for people to know her as one of the strongest fire benders of her generation instead of the daughter of the worst general of all time, Iroh. She'll do whatever it takes, even if it means competing with her cousin Zuko to find the Avatar.


**A/N This story is told from the perspective of Zara, Iroh's (lol I almost wrote Uncle's) daughter who I totally just made up. Hope you all enjoy!**

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**Rage**

I don't remember much about Lu Ten.

His features are fuzzy to me the more I try to think of them. I think he had a bold nose and golden eyes (who in my family doesn't?). I know for a fact that he always kept his hair up in this bun at the top of his head and that his laughter was rare and contagious. I don't remember a time when he spoke of a subject besides the war.

Frankly, I don't blame me so much for not remembering much about my older brother. After all, he's fifteen years older than me. He died when I was barely five, right on the battle fields of Ba Sing Se.

I don't remember how I reacted when I learned that Lu Ten was gone, in fact, I don't even remember getting the news at all. It's as if the information was blocked out of my brain all together, like my mind refused to remember such a horrifying period of my life. As if when I was told the news, every nerve in my mind completely shut down, forcing me to not even remember a fraction of the experience.

The next time I saw Dad, it was a little over than seven months after Lu Ten's death. I had gotten over it, after all, it's not that hard to get over someone you barely knew. I remember distinctly that I was beginning to forget how my father looked like, since at that point of time, I was practically being raised by my Aunt Ursa and Uncle Ozai, though it eventually just became Uncle Ozai since Aunt Ursa one day disappeared (I heard rumors that she ran... but I never understood why). He came back with a new hair cut and slowly graying hair, his eyes full of tears and his clothes in rags. Advisers told me that he was still trying to processing the world without his son, that it was because of his broken heart and suddenly weak war spirit, which was why Uncle Ozai took over the throne.

I understood of course, why would they lie after all? My father was weak, his men merely spent 600 days at war before they gave up like cowards. If Uncle Ozai led the attack, he wouldn't dare stop until Ba Sing Se had the glorious Fire Nation flag over it. Uncle Ozai was the Fire Lord that we needed, not Dad. Dad was weak and didn't deserve it.

When my father returned home, I did my best to get to know him, but he was so... so lame. He wasn't interested in how I had perfected my fighting technique so that flames would rain out of my fists. He barely cared that lightning came easy to me. He barely batted an eye when I had managed to single handily take down an entire Earth town all by myself.

Instead he told me that I had to find peace in myself. That the person who was liberating Earth villages and restoring order to this world wasn't me, as if he had any idea who I was. As if he cared about who I ever was ever since he came back from Ba Sing Se.

So that's why I stopped caring about what he thought of me, since he wasn't going to give me the same courtesy. When I was nine, I instead began to try to please the person who actually mattered, Uncle Ozai. But, it was soon when I discovered that Uncle Ozai would forever hold a bias to me because I was his niece. I was a direct competitor to Zuko for the throne, with some citizens even saying that I was the rightful heir.

Not like I cared about a throne and title, but it's not like anyone believed me when I told them that. All I ever really wanted was for someone to give me a pat on the back and tell me that I was doing a fine job. That they were proud of me, that I was everything they expected and more.

It actually came to a shock to me when Iroh told me a few days after Zuko's 'incident' (as he referred to it as), that he was going to go with him to help find the Avatar. I was shocked to say the least, after all, Zuko wasn't his son. Zuko wasn't worthy of his affection, of his love. Zuko didn't train day and night in the art of fire. Zuko didn't even know the basics of making lightning. Zuko was nothing but an unhonorable stain in our impeccable Royal Family.

I didn't understand how Zuko was able to win Iroh's affection so easily.

I still don't.

Iroh offered me a place with them, to which I straight up refused. Why would I turn away my life of status and... and everything I've ever worked for... for some banished prince's useless adventure? Was he crazy?

So I yelled at him about what an idiot he was being and how I was infuriated that he would even suggest that I would stoop so low. I got into a fight with him, well, a mostly one-sided fight since while I was screaming and bringing the room into flames, Iroh was just packing up his stuff as if I meant nothing to him. As if I was nothing to him.

"I don't understand!" I remember screaming, my eyes close to tears because only Iroh could ever bring me to such an emotional state. "Why are you doing this! Is it to punish me! I'm your daughter, Iroh, Zuko is..." I let out a scoff. "he's just a disgrace."

"He is my nephew and your cousin," Iroh stated rather peacefully. "And I've been trying to help you, Zara, I've been trying for the past eight years! But you just refuse me, you just reject my advances to help you over and over again... so, I believe that maybe some separation will do you some good."

"It's because of Lu Ten, isn't it?" I hissed and took a threatening step towards him. "Zuko... he reminds him, doesn't-"

"Enough, Zara, this conversation is over."

He sounded hurt when he said that, but I knew he was faking it. He's always faking everything to me, because he doesn't care about me. He never cared.

That night, he left a note by my bedside that said that he was sorry about our fight and that he loved me. I scoffed at the idea. Love? LOVE? Does he even know the meaning of the word? He didn't care, he never cared! If he cared, he would've taken notice of the dozens of hours I poured into perfecting my fighting technique. If he cared, he would've included me into the war meetings. If he cared, he would've never left me for that worthless prince called Zuko.

If he loved me, then he would've showed it in ways other than telling me that I need to find myself, even though I already knew where the hell I am.

After Iroh and Zuko left to travel the world for the Avatar, I sometimes got letters from him. I never read them of course, why should I? He left me, just like how he left for Ba Sing Se. He doesn't even deserve my attention.

Life at home was miserable, but then again, when was it not? Ozai and Azula spoke to each other in a way that confused me, and with Sozin's Comet quickly approaching, all I ever felt was the feeling that I was unwanted in this home. That my presence was only a burden to the rest of the Fire Nation.

So, after two years of living in misery, I made the decision to begin a top secret mission of taking down the Northern Water Tribe.

The mission was simple. I would appear on a small, ragged boat and claim that I was from the now decimated North Eastern village that was 100 or so miles away. I would have to destroy that villiage to do so, of course, so I did that prior to my appearance. It was easy, the men of the North Eastern tribe (which is actually an extension of the Northern Water Tribe) stood no chance to the dozens of ships that we sent out, even with their precious moon.

I would accepted without much hesitation. After all, I didn't look Fire Nation at all, especially since I had stood out in the cold without fire bending in the slightest for hours before approaching the Northern Water Tribe. I was quickly put inside of a small residence for the homeless and, just like that, I was accepted into the Northern Water Tribe. Easy.

The next step would be to get rid of their water-bender army, which would be quite difficult. After all, that required power and friendship with the Chief, but luckily, I managed to find an easy way to get to the top.

And her name was Yue.

Princess Yue came to visit me about two days into my 'recovery' from travelling from the North Eastern village.

"I heard about what happened to your village." Yue spoke, her voice soft before she placed her hand on mine. Her skin was cold and her white hair was silky smooth as a look of sadness trapped her features. "I'm so sorry."

"I... I still can't really wrap my mind around it." I whispered softly and pushed fake tears out of my ears before continuing. "All that ash..." _All that victory... _"And... and then, before I knew it, they were all gone..." _The peasants never deserved to be there to begin with. _

"Do you think that the Fire Nation will come after us next?" Princess Yue questioned, her eyes littered with fear.

"I... I don't know." I whisper back and wipe my eyes with the back of my palm.

It was easy to get her friendship after that. After I finished recuperating, we had 'somehow' managed to run into each other constantly until I was eventually sure that I had her full trust after about eight months into the relationship, when she told her exciting rumors about the Avatar magically being found and when she brought me into a spiritual chamber.

If it isn't obvious, the eight months of trying to get her trust were absolute torture. I had to constantly figure out where she was going to go next and fire bending was completely off limits unless I wanted a death wish. The only time I could ever really practice my skills was when I traveled deep into the North Pole, far away from any civilization in general, and only during the thickest of snow storms when traveling meant that you wanted to die.

You know, the absolute best time to practicing for a fire bender, after all, the snow falling from the sky would just cover up what had melted.

Today was one of those days when snow storms were destroying the city. Experienced water benders would try to bend the snow away from the village, but when it was revealed that the storm would probably last for at least three days, it was decided by the Chief that everyone should just stay indoors with enough food to last a month or so, so that we could wait it out. It was the perfect time to leave for a long session of fire bending.

I snuck out of my house and let the harsh snow conceal any sign of me leaving. The snow was at least five feet high, meaning that I was walking at the height of some of the roofs of the house. It was snowing so harshly that I could only barely see four feet in front of me and by the time I got out of the city, my legs were feeling fairly frozen. So, despite the fact that I wasn't nearly as far as I normally go when sneaking out, I drew a ball of fire in my palm and blasted it to my feet, causing a good amount of snow to melt and my legs to finally get feeling in it again. I gave myself a smile of self satisfaction and threw out a flame of fire bigger than the stupid igloos in the Northern Water Tribe.

I went through about five hours of extensive fire bending training, my flames so huge that I eventually caused all the snow around me to melt so that I stood underneath solid ground for once. Still, the snow storm continued, so I figured that in my spare time, I should shoot some lightning, my favorite part of the day.

The feeling I get from shooting lightning is almost indescribable. It's almost as if you have all the power in the goddamn world, as if your word is law within the universe. I felt like I could control gravity, as if the world revolved around me.

After my long session of training, I started to walk back to my home when I noticed that there were more lights outside that usual. I squinted in the distance before I noticed that the lights were from guards, who were screaming something that I couldn't understand. But, after coming a good half mile closer, I heard them loud and clear.

"Lulu!"

My name. They were screaming my name, or, at least, the one that I gave them.

My face paled. How was I going to get out of this one? I don't even look cold, meaning that they'll definitely be suspicious. And besides, what am I even suppose to tell them? That I went out for a little midnight stroll in the middle of a snow storm? The whole idea was preposterous to say the least. Crazy.

So, I sat down in the snow and watched it melt around me as I pondered onto what to do, idea after idea rattling inside of my mind until I widened my eyes. Of course that's what I should do! It was obvious!

I walked closer to the city until I knew that with just a little visible burst of fire, I would be seen by the entire village. So, I sent out a burst of fire as grand as the sun itself before letting out a scream to accompany it.

"HELP!" I yelled, a smile placed on my lips as I instantly heard yells in the distance.

"It's Lulu!" Someone screamed as I sent another blast of fire and let out another cry.

"HELP ME! PLEASE!" I pleaded and started running away from the city and straight into the eye of the storm.

From the corner of my view, I could see experienced water benders sliding their way towards me, their hands moving the water around them with ease. This was going to be hard, but I wasn't just any fire bender. I was _the fire bender. _Niece of Fire Lord Ozai, cousin of Princess Azula... Daughter of the Dragon of the West.

I forced steam to rise from the snow, completely clouding our view and when the first water bender came into my view, his eyes widened at how seemingly fine I was looking.

"Lulu-" He began when I shot a beam of lightning at his chest without warning, my eyes glowing with mischief before I continued my assault.

I think I must've taken down at least two dozen or so water benders, the majority of which never even seeing me coming, before I decided that enough was enough and became 'found' by Master Pakku, a small self-inflicted burn on my neck.

"Master Pakku!" I cried in joy and stumbled towards him, my entire body as cold as ice, especially since I had taken down the last couple of water benders without even using my fire bending.

"Lulu! Thank goodness, come, let's go back home." He whispered and picked me up before sliding back down to the city, where everyone pestered me with questions.

"What happened?"

"Who attacked you?"

"How did this happen?"

"Do you know what they looked like?"

I took a deep breath before answering, my eyes meeting everyone else's in worry. "They... They were fire benders... and... and they took me... I don't know why, but they tried to burn me when I tried to escape." I shook my head back and forth. "They... They killed so many..."

"They?" Someone whispered. "There's more than one?"

"Yeah." I whispered back and sniffled. "I counted at least five."

"Well, obviously, that's the only way that someone could kill all of those trained water benders." Someone spoke up as words splattered across the room, everyone's opinion overshadowing the over before Princess Yue ran into the run, tears running down her eyes.

"Lulu!" She cried out and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank goodness! I went to check on you so I could offer you to sleep at my home for the night, but you were gone! By the moon, Lulu, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"It's alright, Yue," I whispered back and patted her gently on the back. "I'm fine... I'm completely fine..."


End file.
